STRETCH Gifted Program
Welcome to Mehlville Gifted Education
The Mehlville School District Gifted Education program provides unique learning experiences for intellectually advanced students in grades K-8. This advanced capacity requires modification to the regular curriculum to ensure students are challenged. These students also benefit from opportunities to regularly interact with their intellectual peers in a setting that nurtures their academic, intellectual and social/emotional development.
STRETCH (Supplementary Teaching Resources for Educationally Talented Children) is the gifted education program for Mehlville Schools. Identified students in grades 1-5 attend classes once a week at the STRETCH Center, located at Washington Middle School. Students in grades 6-8 participate in program activities as part of their daily school schedule.
STRETCH is a state-assisted program and therefore must comply with state guidelines.
Gifted Identification Process
Universal Screening
All Mehlville 1st and 4th grade students participate in the nationally normed gifted pathway assessment series for universal consideration. The assessment series measures verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative reasoning skills. Families are notified if their student is moving forward in the process.
Teacher Recommendation
Teacher recommendations will be accepted for students in kindergarten and grades 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. These are requested at the end of the first semester with the gifted pathway assessment series being administered early in the second semester. This same process is followed for parochial students who reside within the Mehlville School District. Like with the universal screening process, families are notified if their student is moving forward.
Further Assessment
Should further assessment be required, students will be invited to complete individual IQ testing administered by a School Psychologist.
Transfer Students
Students transferring into Mehlville Schools may submit results from intelligence tests administered by their former school district. The tests must be the same as or comparable to those used by Mehlville Gifted Education.
Students with scores at or above the 95th percentile will be considered for STRETCH. Our office must receive test results at least one week before the start of each semester. Information received after this point will be considered for the following semester's admissions process.
School Supplies
STRETCH supplies for the 2025-2026 (K-5 only)
Middle school supply lists are provided by the classroom teacher.
| Contact Information Adam Smith Gifted Education Director 314-467-5006 asmith@msdr9.org Shawna Olejniczak School Psychologist 314-467-7955 olejniczaks@msdr9.org Cindy O'Brien Gifted Education Assistant 314-467-5222 obrienc@msdr9.org Office Hours 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
STRETCH Class Schedule/Calendar Class Schedule - Elementary STRETCH Center 5165 Ambs Road St. Louis, MO 63128 STRETCH Hours: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Friday Hours: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. |